HERE’S another motorcycle that’s left us scratching our heads a bit because – although it didn’t show up at the EICMA show that’s now long, long ago in the past – it looks like it’s virtually ready to launch.

So where is this 850cc, GS-powered mini-XR roadster from BMW? When will we all see this thing in the flesh? What do you reckon? Something special for Motorcycle Live at the NEC next week or is this smaller XR from the Germans now destined to be a 2020 model?

What we do actually have here are a couple of BMWs that our top spy snapper has caught out on final road consumption tests.

And at the heart of the bike is the German firms’ new 850 motor being used in a smaller-capacity version of the popular XR roadster.

But instead of it being housed in the small GS Adventure (we showed you that in prototype, final road test form back in JULY this year – you can see that story HERE and we’ve put one of the photos from then of the GS in action below), the smaller XR looks to be very much it’s own bike with a riding position and comfort that is much more geared-up for road use.

These latest spy photos show the 95bhp, 83Nm of torque lump in the road-oriented small XR complete with adjustable screen, colour TFT dash and radial calipers. The spy bike’s small swingarm and comparatively (to the 1000cc version of the XR) slim swingarm give away the smaller capacity.

The test bikes both have a top box and panniers fitted suggesting that the small XR is likely to come in a GT option too.

The spy bikes have a fairing that’s quite different to the current XR with cut-out wing-like part around the shoulder of the nose fairing and more upswept sides. We’ve out a photo of the current 2108 S1000XR from BMW below so that you can compare the two.